Iga Swiatek celebrates one year as world No. 1 - what challenges await and what's next ahead of French Open?
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Published 04/04/2023 at 08:15 GMT
After a year as world No. 1, what are the biggest challenges ahead for Iga Swiatek and what WTA records could she be setting her sights on in the future? Swiatek took over as world No. 1 from Ashleigh Barty on April 4, 2022. She is still top of the rankings heading into the clay season but has spoken about the pressures on her and having a "target" on her back as the best in the world.
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It was one year ago today that Iga Swiatek officially replaced Ashleigh Barty as world No. 1. In the 365 days since taking over from the retiring Barty, Swiatek has established herself as a supreme force on the WTA Tour.
From starting with a 1,736-point advantage over world No. 2 Barbora Krejcikova, Swiatek's lead soared to 6,000 points by the end of 2022 after a dominant 67-win season, the most wins in a single season since Serena Williams in 2013.
In the year since becoming world No. 1, Swiatek has won seven titles, including two Grand Slams, reeled off a century-best 34-match win streak, lost only 10 times, and stacked up a formidable 14-3 record against top-10 opponents. She has also won 20 sets by a 6-0 scoreline as world No. 1.
There have been challenges - Swiatek spoke recently of now having a “target” on her back and needing to deal with “more pressure and expectation” – and the gap between Swiatek and the rest of the WTA Tour appears closer now than it has in some time.
With that in mind, we look at all that's ahead for Swiatek as she enters her second year as women’s world No. 1.
Swiatek streaks clear
When Swiatek officially took over from Barty at the top of the WTA rankings on April 4, 2022 she was the youngest player to make her No.1 debut since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
Barty praised her “fresh, fearless” energy and said she “thoroughly deserves” to be No. 1. Former world No. 1 Chris Evert said that even if Barty hadn’t retired, Swiatek would still have made it to the top because of her “hunger” and “mental strength”.
Now into her 53rd week atop the rankings, Swiatek is 12th on the all-time WTA standings for time spent as world No. 1. She should soon catch Simona Halep, who spent 64 weeks as world No. 1, and perhaps Wozniacki, who had 71 weeks at the top of the rankings across her career.
Further ahead are Lindsay Davenport (98 weeks), Justine Henin (117 weeks) and Barty (121 weeks). Steffi Graf leads the way with 377 weeks.
In terms of consecutive weeks as world No. 1, Swiatek is 16th in the all-time WTA list, just behind Serena Williams’ second-longest career streak of 57 weeks.
To break into the top 10, Swiatek would need to stay as world No. 1 until early October, which would move her ahead of Martina Hingis’ best run of 80 weeks. Only eight different women have stayed No.1 for longer than Swiatek over a single stretch.
Swiatek shows ‘human’ side
Swiatek's year as world No. 1 has not just been about records and titles.
The three-time Grand Slam champion has shown there is much that comes with being world No. 1 than just being world No. 1.
Swiatek has described herself as a “current leader of women’s tennis” and has spoken eloquently and passionately about issues on the tour, including “tension” in the locker room following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and concerns about the level of help on offer to Ukrainian players, which she has raised with WTA CEO Steve Simon. She has also organised charity events, been an inspiration for men’s world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz, been described as a “fresh air for the world of tennis” by Rafael Nadal, and has been open about the pressures and expectations on her.
Things are different now for Swiatek.
Speaking about her experiences this year at Indian Wells, she reflected: “I lost in the [Dubai] final and people were, I don’t know, surprised, not happy with the performance, just critical. And it made me think that last year before this huge streak and before winning all these tournaments I would be so happy with this result.
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“But with all these comments right now, I felt like, ‘Ooooh, that’s not enough.’”
Not only is there added pressure and responsibility as world No. 1, but Swiatek thinks attitudes towards her have shifted.
“I feel like there’s a target on my back a little bit, which I didn’t feel last year,” she said.
“It’s a different situation, and I have to adjust to that. So I’m trying not to read a lot of these things. I don’t want it to influence me because I’m happy with all the work I’ve done.
“This is the example of how people’s attitudes changed a little bit - and I don’t think it’s a positive change - but for me for sure there is more pressure and expectations because of that. But I’m trying to [cope with] that in the best way possible. Yeah, I think I’m doing good.”
Who can catch Swiatek?
Over the last year, the gap between Swiatek and the rest of the WTA has grown, grown some more, and then grown even more. But over the last month, as Swiatek has been defending titles, it has shrunk a bit.
After losing in the Indian Wells semi-finals and then missing the Miami Open, where she was defending champion, Swiatek’s lead over world No. 2 Sabalenka has been cut to 2,030 points.
Jessica Pegula is not too far behind Sabalenka after her run to the semi-finals in Miami, and Elena Rybakina would be ranked at No. 4 if she had ranking points from winning Wimbledon a year ago.
So is the competition closing on Swiatek? And how soon could she be dethroned as world No. 1?
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The next few months will be interesting.
Swiatek swept everyone aside in the 2022 clay season, dropping just two sets as she won in Stuttgart and Rome, before lifting the French Open for a second time. She is next expected back on court in Stuttgart to defend her title, having pulled out of Poland’s Billie Jean King Cup tie in April due to her rib injury.
Swiatek could then have the chance to gain ranking points in Madrid, which she missed last year due to a shoulder injury, before she defends 3,000 points across the Italian Open and French Open.
Sabalenka could be hot on Swiatek’s heels during the clay season. The only significant points the world No. 2 has to defend are from making the Stuttgart final and Rome semi-finals, where she lost to Swiatek on both occasions. Sabalenka lost in the third round at the 2022 French Open so has the chance to gain points this time around.
The challenge for all, though, might be again trying to figure out how to beat Swiatek on a surface where she looked so dominant in 2022. If she hits her peak again over the next two months then Swiatek’s run as world No. 1 might not come to an end anytime soon.
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